Surround Sound - The Future? - An item at CNET News is titled Is Surround Sound the Future, or Another Betamax? Stimulated by a visit to the studio where the original Talking Heads albums are being remixed for 5.1 by the band’s keyboardist Jerry Harrison, he is quoted as saying the new acoustic effects can help revitalize the listening experience. And that there are a lot of other people’s records he would love to remix for surround. Jeff Dean, President of Silverline Records, also states: “I think it’s rapidly on the road to mass appeal and mass market.”
Yet the article goes on to observe that with surround “it is even harder than with stereo to find the perfect place to listen.” And that “The average consumer doesn’t have the acoustical knowledge to set up a perfect 5.1 system...” Hogwash, we say. True, some unfortunates still just stack all six speakers on top of one another next to the TV (I’ve seen it). But then some people stack their stereo speakers on top of one another too. Both are a minority, as purchasers of home theater surround systems find it hard to escape the diagrams of exactly how to locate their speakers. And the exciting sonic envelopment that results makes it all worthwhile.
DVD Pricing in China - Video piracy is a major problem in China and in an attempt to fight it Warner Home Video now markets bare-bones DVDs at only $2.65 and complete DVDs with extras at $3.38. (They are also trying to keep U.S. DVDs at $18 or less.) However, on the street in China you can easily find pirated DVDs for just under $1, so perhaps the Warner pricings are intended mainly for American tourists to take back on the plane with them.
New PC AV Decoder Chip - Philips Electronics has introduced the first integrated dual video and stereo audio decoder for PC desktops and notebooks. The PCI Express AV decoder will also capture multiple broadcast TV signals, offering a universal broadcast video and stereo decoding solution. Users will be able to watch one channel while recording another.
Swedish Radio Surround Sound - We reported some time ago that DTS had aided the Swedish Radio in putting 5.1 DTS surround downloads of some of their broadcasts on their web site. Now the two have paired up to offer high-quality 5.1 sound over a streamed Internet connection. Taking a 1.5 mbps connection, it sounds like DTS audio on DVDs. That is considered difficult for most DSL connections in the U.S. but might work with a good cable modem. Sweden is ahead of everybody on broadband digital audio.
March 9, 2005 
